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enMcCarthy among Ireland's injury absenteesMartin O'Neill has confirmed his Republic of Ireland squad for this weekend's World Cup qualifier in Austria.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/mccarthy-among-irelands-injury-absentees
James McCarthy is one of four Republic of Ireland players who has been forced to withdraw from the final squad for Saturday's trip to Austria.
The Everton midfielder has a hamstring injury and joins Cyrus Christie, Stephen Ward and Stephen Quinn in missing out owing to fitness issues.
Toffees boss Ronald Koeman last week urged McCarthy to skip international duty.
"The player is not fit and not involved in team sessions," said the Dutchman. "To have a call-up he needs to be close to being fit, but it's a bit of the same story as to what happened last time.
"We spoke to James and my advice to him is to stay here, train and get fit as soon as possible. But the final decision is down to the player."
O'Neill named a provisional squad last Wednesday, when Shane Long's exclusion – also for a hamstring problem – was confirmed.
The list does include uncapped duo Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle, who have impressed in Dundalk's Europa League campaign after helping the club to regain their domestic title.
Ireland are level with Serbia on seven points at the top of Group D, having played three matches.
news_articleMon, 07 Nov 2016 22:14:31 +0000Anonymous648317 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLong left out of Republic of Ireland squadShane Long is not fit enough for the latest Republic of Ireland squad, but there are two surprise choices from Dundalk.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/long-left-out-republic-ireland-squad
Shane Long has been left out of the Republic of Ireland squad for the World Cup qualifier against Austria this month.
The 29-year-old striker injured a hamstring in Southampton's Europa League defeat to Inter last week and will not be risked for the game in Vienna on November 12.
There are concerns over the fitness of John O'Shea, Stephen Ward and James McCarthy, who are among the players who will be assessed by Ireland medical staff next Monday.
Martin O'Neill has handed debut call-ups to Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle, who have impressed in Dundalk's Europa League campaign after having helped the club to regain their domestic title.
There is also a place for Bradford City goalkeeper Colin Doyle, whose only senior cap came against Ecuador in May 2007.
"The report coming from Southampton is that it will be too early for him," O'Neill told a news conference when asked about Long.
"If the game was this week then James McCarthy would be out. He is doubtful for the week after.
"I've been impressed by the way Dundalk play. Quite a number have done well. Any players who are called up deserve to be."
Ireland are level with Serbia on seven points at the top of Group D, having played three matches.
Squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (West Ham), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Colin Doyle (Bradford City), Ian Lawlor (Manchester City), Danny Rogers (Falkirk*)
Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Cyrus Christie, Richard Keogh, Alex Pearce (Derby County), John O'Shea (Sunderland), Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United), Paul McShane (Reading), Shane Duffy (Brighton and Hove Albion), Andy Boyle (Dundalk), Stephen Ward (Burnley)
Midfielders: Aiden McGeady (Preston North End*), James McClean (West Bromwich Albion), Jeff Hendrick (Burnley), James McCarthy (Everton), Stephen Quinn (Reading), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), Harry Arter (Bournemouth), Eunan O'Kane (Leeds United), David Meyler (Hull City), Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City), Conor Hourihane (Barnsley), Robbie Brady, Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City), Callum O'Dowda (Bristol City), Jonathan Hayes (Aberdeen), Daryl Horgan (Dundalk)
Forwards: Jonathan Walters (Stoke City), Adam Rooney (Aberdeen), Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids), David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town)
*Indicates player is currently on loan
news_articleWed, 02 Nov 2016 12:07:09 +0000Anonymous645931 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comPato shines on Villarreal debut, Celtic grab Champions League leadA debut goal from Alexandre Pato proved in vain as Villarreal lost 2-1 to Monaco, while Thomas Vermaelen was sent off in his Roma bow.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/pato-shines-villarreal-debut-celtic-grab-champions-league-lead
Alexandre Pato continued his extraordinary record of scoring on his debuts as he struck in Villarreal's 2-1 defeat to 10-man Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League qualifying play-off.
The forward, who has previously netted in his maiden appearances for Inter, AC Milan, Corinthians, Chelsea and Brazil, opened his Villarreal account 36 minutes into his El Madrigal bow, restoring parity following Fabinho's earlier penalty.
However, the LaLiga side - now managed by Fran Escriba following Marcelino's departure - could not build on Pato's leveller, with Portugal playmaker Bernardo Silva doing the damage for Monaco, who had Benjamin Mendy sent off late on.
Elsewhere, Celtic survived a second-half scare to secure an ultimately comfortable 5-2 home victory over Hapoel Be'er Sheva at Celtic Park.
Brendan Rodgers' side had taken a convincing first-half lead courtesy of a Tom Rogic strike and Leigh Griffiths' brace, but they were almost pegged back when the visitors netted twice in the space of two minutes shortly after the restart.
Fortunately for the hosts, Moussa Dembele was on hand to extend their slender advantage just three minutes after coming off the bench, with captain Scott Brown wrapping up the win late on and handing Celtic a three-goal cushion in the tie.
Meanwhile, Thomas Vermaelen's Roma debut ended prematurely as he was sent off after just 41 minutes against Porto, though his side did manage to hold out to claim a hard-fought 1-1 draw at the Estadio do Dragao.
In Wednesday's other fixtures, Dundalk slipped to a 2-0 home defeat to Legia Warsaw, while Ludogorets eased to victory against Viktoria Plzen.
news_articleWed, 17 Aug 2016 21:59:59 +0000Anonymous615128 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comIrish champions Dundalk stun BATE to reach play-offsBATE's participation in this season's Champions League is over, after they were swept aside by League of Ireland champions Dundalk.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/irish-champions-dundalk-stun-bate-reach-play-offs
Irish champions Dundalk stunned Champions League regulars BATE Borisov to reach the competition's play-off round and dump the Belarusians out.
The League of Ireland side had to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, but a David McMillan brace and Robert Benson's strike clinched a historic 3-0 win.
They were joined in the next round by Viktoria Plzen, Dinamo Zagreb, Ludogorets and APOEL, with the latter netting three goals in stoppage time to see off Rosenborg.
And the line-up will be completed on Wednesday, as the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Anderlecht and Monaco fight to go through.
news_articleTue, 02 Aug 2016 21:21:49 +0000Anonymous608883 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Champions League Review: Steaua survive scare against TrencinA 3-2 away win was not enough for Trencin to knock out Steaua Bucharest in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-champions-league-review-steaua-survive-scare-against-trencin
Steaua Bucharest advanced to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League despite a 3-2 defeat to Trencin on Wednesday.
The Romanian side, who won the European Cup in 1986, led 2-0 from the first leg in Slovakia.
However, Trencin levelled the tie thanks to goals from Wesley and Matus Bero, only for Steaua to reassume command as Sulley Muniru and Gregory Tade hit the target, the latter doing so from the penalty spot.
Despite Milan Rundic seeing red for a second bookable offence, Wesley netted a second to put Trencin within a goal of qualification, but Steaua hung on to set up a tie with Partizan.
Dinamo Zagreb came through in more comfortable circumstances, a double from Marko Pjaca helping the Croatian champions to a 3-0 win over Fola Esch, ensuring a 4-1 aggregate triumph.
Celtic were 6-1 winners on aggregate following a 4-1 away success at Stjarnan and will face Qarabag, who claimed a 1-0 victory at Rudar Pljevlja to go through.
The New Saints suffered extra-time heartbreak at Videoton, losing 2-1 on aggregate against the Hungarian side.
Matthew Williams levelled the tie and forced extra time by netting for the visitors in the 78th minute, but a 107th-minute effort from Videoton midfielder Adam Gyurcso proved decisive, with Sam Finley seeing red for The New Saints 11 minutes later.
Lech Poznan beat Sarajevo 1-0 to progress, BATE progressed following a 0-0 draw at Dundalk and Astana turned around a 1-0 first-leg deficit to knock out Maribor with a 3-1 home win in Kazakhstan.news_articleWed, 22 Jul 2015 21:58:21 +0000Anonymous422090 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Champions League Preview: Steaua and Celtic on course to progressFormer European Cup winners Steaua Bucharest and Celtic look well placed to reach the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-champions-league-preview-steaua-and-celtic-course-progress
With a place in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League up for grabs, both Steaua Bucharest and Celtic look favourites to advance.
Both sides lifted this trophy in its former guise as the European Cup, but the format of the competition has changed almost beyond recognition since those days.
Celtic became the first British side to conquer Europe with a 2-1 win over Inter back in 1967.
Steaua's success, meanwhile, came more recently, in 1986, when the Romanian outfit overcame Terry Venables' Barcelona 2-0 on penalties following a goalless draw.
Both clubs have fallen well short of those glories in recent times, but the two will feel confident of making the third qualifying round after strong first-leg showings.
Celtic won 2-0 at home to Stjarnan - famed for their choreographed goal celebrations which became a YouTube sensation - while Steaua prevailed by the same scoreline at Trencin.
Should Ronny Deila's men advance, they will take on either Qarabag or Rudar, who played out a goalless first leg. Steaua will come up against Partizan or Dila, with the former winning 1-0 at home last week.
Lech Poznan hold a 2-0 lead over Sarajevo, with the winner earning a third-round tie against Basel.
Molde already have one foot in the next round after they hammered Pyunik 5-0, while Skenderbeu Korce also look assured of their place following a 4-1 over Crusaders.
Less certain are Milsami, Midtjylland, Videoton and Maribor, who all carry a narrow 1-0 lead into their second legs against Ludogorets, Lincoln Red Imps, The New Saints and Astana.
BATE and Hibernians both won their first legs 2-1, although Dundalk and Maccabi Tel Aviv will fancy their chances of turning the ties around.
Finnish outfit HJK won their first leg 3-1 away at Ventspils and look in a strong position, while the ties between APOEL and Vardar and Zalgiris and Malmo are scoreless.
Elsewhere, it is similarly all to play for in the tie between Dinamo Zagreb and Fola Esch, which is level at 1-1 after last week's encounter in Croatia.news_articleMon, 20 Jul 2015 13:46:50 +0000Anonymous420942 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Champions League Review: Dinamo Zagreb held as BATE and Celtic triumphDinamo Zagreb could only draw with minnows Fola Esch in the UEFA Champions League, while BATE Borisov and Celtic secured home wins.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-champions-league-review-dinamo-zagreb-held-bate-and-celtic-triumph
Luxembourg's Fola Esch held Dinamo Zagreb to a 1-1 draw in their UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, first-leg clash on Wednesday.
Fola were thumped 6-0 at the same stage by Dinamo two years ago but left the Croatian capital all square having taken the lead after 24 minutes, when Samir Hadji turned home from close range.
Angelo Henriquez hauled Dinamo level nine minutes before half-time but the home side could not force a win, despite Fola captain Ronny receiving a straight red card just after the hour mark.
BATE Borisov battled to a 2-1 win over Dundalk of Ireland.
Aleksandr Karnitski opened the scoring before David McMillan netted a potentially crucial away goal for Dundalk.
But BATE sealed victory on the night courtesy of a superb long-range strike from Yevgeniy Yablonskiy in the 38th minute.
Dedryck Boyata headed Celtic into the lead on his debut as the Scottish Premiership champions beat Iceland's Stjarnan 2-0.
Following Boyata's goal in the 44th minute, Stefan Johansen gave the hosts breathing space after half-time and the margin of victory might have been far greater but for Stjarnan goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen, who pulled off a string of fine stops before keeping out substitute Leigh Griffiths' penalty.
In other results, Malmo and Qarabag were held to goalless draws at home by Zalgiris Vilnius and Rudar Pljevlja, respectively.news_articleWed, 15 Jul 2015 22:33:40 +0000Anonymous418736 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Champions League Preview: Deila keen to learn from Celtic heartbreakThe UEFA Champions League reaches the second round of qualifying, with Celtic and Steaua Bucharest among those joining the competition.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-champions-league-preview-deila-keen-learn-celtic-heartbreak
Ronny Deila believes Celtic are a different proposition to team that failed to make the UEFA Champions League group stages 12 months ago, as they prepare to enter the second round of qualifiers against Stjarnan.
The Scottish champions were knocked out in the third round of qualifiers by Legia Warsaw last season, only to be handed a second chance when the Polish side were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player.
Celtic failed to make the most of the reprieve, though, and were beaten in the play-off round by Slovenian side Maribor.
Deila had not been in Glasgow long at that point, having replaced former boss Neil Lennon, and the Norwegian admits that he may have made mistakes early in his Celtic career that he hopes to avoid this time around.
"Maybe I wish I'd done some things differently. But at that time, there were a lot of new things for me to deal with," he said ahead of Wednesday's first leg versus the Icelandic side at Celtic Park.
"There was a big transition, but we're in a much better place now than we were one year ago. When I think back, we just weren't good enough. So it doesn't irritate me too much.
"Everyone at this club is doing everything they can, every day, to prepare for these qualifying games. I now really believe that we're good enough."
Wednesday also sees the Swedish and Croatian champions in action, as Malmo and Dinamo Zagreb host Zalgiris and Fola respectively, while Dundalk and Rudar Pljevlja have away ties with BATE and Qarabag.
On Tuesday, Steaua Bucharest - winner of Europe's premier competition in 1986 - look to overcome a sloppy start to their domestic season away to Slovakian side Trencin in Zilina.
Steaua completed a domestic treble in Romania last term, but head coach Constantin Galca and several first-team players including captain Cristian Tanase left in the close-season.
Mirel Radoi subsequently took the top job and has overseen a 1-0 defeat to Targu Mures in the Romanian Super Cup and a 0-0 draw with Petrolul Ploiesti in their Liga 1 opener.
Radoi, who enjoyed eight years as a player at Steaua, will be unable to take charge of the team against Trencin, though, as he does not have the necessary badges to coach in Europe. Massimo Pedrazzini will therefore take official control of team affairs.
Lincoln Red Imps became the first team from Gibraltar to win a Champions League tie when they beat Santa Coloma to reach the second round of qualifying. They journey continues with a trip to Denmark to face Midtjylland.
The New Saints, Crusaders and Pyunik also came through first-round qualifiers, and will play Videoton, Skenderbeu and Molde respectively.
Elsewhere, Ludogorets - who made the group stages last term - host Milsami, while Ventspils and APOEL are at home to HJK and Vardar. Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Dila and Lech Poznan face respective trips to Hibernians, Maribor, Partizan and Sarajevo.news_articleSun, 12 Jul 2015 13:26:17 +0000Anonymous416972 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comCeltic handed Icelandic qualification testCeltic and Steaua Bucharest discovered their UEFA Champions League fate as the first and second qualifying draws were made on Monday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/celtic-handed-icelandic-qualification-test
Former European champions Celtic and Steaua Bucharest will begin their UEFA Champions League journeys against Stjarnan and AS Trencin respectively.
The draws for the first and second qualifying rounds were held on Monday - just 16 days after Barcelona lifted 2014-15 title - with the Scottish champions facing Urvalsdeild winners Stjarnan, who overcame Motherwell in Europa League qualifying last season.
Ronny Deila's side will host Stjarnan in the first leg of the second qualifying round on the July 14 or 15 before playing the return match the following week.
Celtic failed to qualify for last season's tournament despite earning a reprieve after losing to Legia Warsaw, who fielded an ineligible player.
Deila's men then lost to Maribor and went into the Europa League, where they were knocked out by Inter in the round of 32.
Steaua - European champions in 1986 - will travel to Slovakia to face Trencin before returning to Bucharest, having bowed out of last season's qualifiers to Ludogorets in the play-off round.
The Bulgarian side made the headlines as a result, with defender Cosmin Moti going in goal following Vladislav Stoyanov's red card before saving two penalties in the shootout to send his side through.
Ludogorets took four points off Basel and Liverpool before exiting the group stage and will face Milsami Orhei in the second qualifying round this term.
Champions League regulars APOEL and BATE Borisov will play Vardar and Dundalk respectively.
First qualifying round:
Lincoln Red Imps v Santa Coloma
Crusaders v Levadia Talinn
Pyunik v Folgore
B36 Torshavn v The New Saints
Second qualifying round:
Hibernians v Maccabi Tel Aviv
APOEL v Vardar
Qarabag v Rudar Pljevlja
Sarajevo v Lech Poznan
Maribor v Astana
BATE Borisov v Dundalk
HJK Helsinki v FK Ventspils
Midtjylland v Lincoln Red Imps or Santa Coloma
Molde v Pyunik or Folgore
Malmo v Zalgiris Vilnius
Celtic v Stjarnan
AS Trencin v Steaua Bucharest
Partizan v Dila Gori
Ludogorets v Milsami Orhei
Fola Esch v Dinamo Zagreb
Skenderbeu v Crusaders or Levadia Talinn
B36 Torshavn or The New Saints v Videotonnews_articleMon, 22 Jun 2015 10:43:49 +0000Anonymous407340 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Rosenborg fight backRosenborg staged an impressive recovery to beat Sligo Rovers 3-1 and advance to the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-wrap-rosenborg-fight-back
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Norway, the formerUEFA Champions League quarter-finalists fell further behind to Danny North's 13th-minute opener.
That left the visitors needing three unanswered goals to progress, the first of which arrived just three minutes later through Pal Helland andasecond-half brace from Mike Jensen saw the Norwegian outfit advance to a tie with Karabukspor in the nextround.
Elfsborg's 1-0 win at Inter Baku forced a penalty shoot-out, won 4-3 by the Swedish outfit, while Georgian side Chikuraalso prevailed on spot-kicks after a goalless draw with Bursaspor.
Krasnodar's 5-0 thumping of Sillamae Kalev completed a 9-0 aggregate rout, andShakhtyor's 5-1 win over Derry City also saw them through in comfortable fashion.
Trencin almost threw away a 4-0 first-leg advantage against Vojvodina, losing 3-0 in Serbia to squeeze through to a clash with Hull City, but there were no such problems forBrommapojkarna, who drew 1-1 with Crusaders to progress 5-1 and set up a meeting with Torino.
Goalless draws were good enough for the likes ofDinamo Minsk, Omonia Nicosia, Ruch Chorzow andSplit to make it through, while CSKA Sofia's stalemate with Zimbru saw them crash out on away goals after a 1-1 draw in Bulgaria in the first leg.
It was a mixed night for Scottish clubs, as St Johnstone and Aberdeen progressed but Motherwellcrashed out to Stjarnan.
St Johnstone needed penalties to see off Luzernafter a 1-1 draw at McDiarmid Park, while Aberdeen will now face Real Sociedadfollowing a 2-1 success away at Groningen.
Motherwell could not complete a hat-trick of wins, however, losing out 3-2 after extra-timein Iceland asStjarnan advanced 5-4 on aggregate.
Hajduk Split survived a late fightback to see off Dundalk 3-2 on aggregate, while Gothenburg progressed despite a 1-0 loss on the night to Gyori thanks to their three-goal advantage from the first leg.
MladaBoleslav booked a third-round tie with Lyon courtesy of a devastating 4-0 win at SirokiBrijegand PSV await St Polten, who won 2-0 to beat Botev Plovdiv 3-2 overall.
There were comfortable passages for ShakhterKaragandy, Molde, Zorya, Grodig, Slovan Liberec and Astana but Neftci, Sarajevo and AIK allhad to overturn first-leg deficitsagainst Koper, Haugesund and Linfield respectively.
Lech Poznan were another to come from behind and qualify, triumphing 3-0 at home to Nomme Kalju after a 1-0 first-leg reverse, and Spartak Trnava's 3-0 win saw them ease past Zestafoni.
AsterasTripolis overcame RoPS courtesy of a 4-2 home win, while PetrolulPloiesti's 3-1 success saw them secure a 5-1 aggregate scoreline against FlamurtariVlore.
Elsewhere, Esbjerg, Cluj, Diosgyor, Vikingur, Zulte-Waregem, Metalurg Skopje, Rijekaand FHalso progressed to the next stage.
news_articleThu, 24 Jul 2014 22:00:25 +0000Anonymous218230 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League: Sligo, Baku out to finish upsetsSligo Rovers and Inter Baku will look to convert first-leg shocks to progression from the UEFA Europa league second qualifying round.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-sligo-baku-out-finish-upsets
Sligo pulled off the resultof the round last week,beating former UEFA Champions League quarter-finalistsRosenborg 2-1 atLerkendal Stadion - a result that cost Rosenborg boss Per Joar Hansen his job.
Alan Keane and Danny North put the Irish side two away goals to the good, though goalkeeper Gary Rogers' late own-goal means they will have to focus at The Showgrounds, something manager John Coleman isaware of.
"It's only half a job and I've hammered that home to the players," he said after the game.
"We're disappointed that we conceded a goal and disappointed that we didn't take a couple of chances after that, but they're a good side and we're certainly not going to be underestimating them."
Completing a theme of Irish success were Linfield, who travel to Sweden after a 1-0 win over AIK.
Inter, meanwhile,emerged 1-0 victors against Svenska Cupen holders Elfsborg last week and will have confidence in progressing, havinglost just one of their last 16 games at home -keeping clean sheets in four of their last six.
Those drawn with the bigger names to come in the third round will be hoping for a glamour tie.
Brommapojkarna looknailed on to meet Serie A club Torino as they hold a 4-0 lead over Crusaders, while Trencin can also think about a clash with English FA Cup finalists Hull City after beating Vojvodina by the same scoreline last week.
Botev Plovdiv and Mlada Boleslav will be hoping to seal meetings with PSV and Lyon after 2-1 first-leg wins over Siroki Brijeg and St Polten respectively.
Real Sociedad await the winner between Aberdeen and Groningen, with Mainz eyeing RoPs and Asteras Tripolis' clash in Greece - both gamespoised after draws.
Astana,Zorya, Dinamo Minsk, IFK Gothenburg, Krasnodar, Molde and Grodig are others who can look ahead after dominant first-leg victories - all hold at least a three-goal advantage.
CSKA Sofia and Motherwell will hope conceding away goals in first-leg draws does not costthem against supposedly beatable opposition in the shape of Zimbru and Stjarnan.
Other highly rankedoutfits Cluj, Tromso and Bursaspor were unable to break down weaker opposition and willlook to assert their dominance overJagodina, Vikingur and Chikura after 0-0 draws.
Esbjerg and Slovan Liberec both reached the knockout rounds of last year's competition. The Danes drew 1-1 with Kairat in Kazakhstan last week, but Slovan return home after beating Kosice 1-0 away.
Omonia Nicosia, Petrolul Ploiesti, Diosgyor and Hajduk Split hold two-goal leads heading into their second legs, but things are tighter for Ruch Chorzow, Zulte-Waregem and Split who are all aheadbut conceded away goals to Vaduz, Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Hapoel Be'er Sheva.
Koper, Shakhtyor and Haugesund will look to back-up narrow away wins, while Nomme Kajlu andRijeka head to Lech Poznan and Ferenvaros protecting 1-0 leads.
Atlantas host Shakhter Karagandy, Zestafoni welcome Spartak Trnava and Metalurg Skopje go to Zeljeznicar after goalless first legs, but St Johnstone and FH will hope an away goal can swing things in their favour after 1-1 first-legs at Luzern and Neman Grodno.
news_articleMon, 21 Jul 2014 12:44:10 +0000Anonymous216074 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Sligo shock RosenborgRosenborgs hopes of qualification took a blow after a shock 2-1 home defeat to Sligo Rovers in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-wrap-sligo-shock-rosenborg
The 22-time champions of Norway had home advantage in the second-round qualifying tie at the Lerkendal Stadion.
However, they will travel to Ireland needing to overturn the one-goal deficit, as second-half goals from Alan Keane and Danny North put the visitors in control.
Mikkel Diskerud offered hope of a late comeback when he struck nine minutes from time, but it proved in vain as Sligo held on for a precious win.
Koper were also 2-1 victors on their visit to Neftci, while the likes of Botev Plovdiv, Mlada Boleslav, Split and Zulte Waregem still have to work to do after winning by the same scoreline at home.
IFK Gothenburg have won Europe's secondary club competition on two occasions in 1982 and 1987, and the Swedish outfit look destined for the next round after a 3-0 win at Gyori ETO.
Lasse Vibe got the visitors off to a flying start in the eighth minute and Jakob Johansson and May Mahlangu added furth goals in the second half.
Fellow Swedish sides Brommapojkarna and Elfsborg had differing fortunes. The former routed Crusaders 4-0, while the latter were beaten 1-0 at home by Inter Baku.
Russian Premier League outfit Krasnodar are virtually assured a spot in the third round of qualifying thanks for a 4-0 win at Sillamae Kalev.
Ari, Yury Gazinskiy, Wanderson and Vladimir Bystrov were all on the scoresheet in the comfortable win.
Grodig too won 4-0 on their travels at Cukaricki,and Trencin secured the same score at home to Vojvodina. Molde put one foot in the next round thanks to a 4-1 home success over Gorica.
Kazakh outfit Astana should progress after a 3-0 home win over Hapoel Tel Aviv, while Belarus side Dinamo Minsk beat MYPA by the same score. Zorya won3-0 on their visit to Laci.
The matches between Kairat and Esbjerg, RoPS and Asteras Tripolis, CSKA Sofia and Zimbru, Luzern and St. Johnstone and Neman Grodno and FH are all nicely poised after finishing 1-1.
Shakhter Karagandy, Spartak Trnava and Tromso played out stalemates on their visits to Atlantas, Zestafoni and Vikingur, while Jagodina took a valuable 0-0 draw away from CFR Cluj.
There were no goals in the matches involving Bursaspor and Chikhura Sheva, Aberdeen and Groningen, orMetalurg Skopje andZeljeznicar.
Omonia Nicosia and Diosgyor take 2-0 leads back to their respective home legs with Buducnost and Lovech. Petrolul Ploiesti scored twice in the last 13 minutes to win 2-0 at home to Flamurtari Vlore.
Dundalk face a tricky task after losing 2-0 at home to Hajduk Split, while Motherwell surrendered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at home to Stjarnan.
One goal was all that was needed for Slovan Liberec to win on their visit at Kosice, while Nomme Kalju were 1-0 victors at home to Lech Poznan. Ruch Chorzow also have a one-goal cushion ahead of the second leg following an entertaining 3-2 triumph over Vaduz.
Linfield and Rijeka triumphed 1-0 in their home ties, as did Shakhtyor and Haugesund on their visits to Derry City and Sarajevo.
news_articleThu, 17 Jul 2014 21:29:57 +0000Anonymous214099 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League: Gothenburg face GyoriFormer European heavyweights IFK Gothenburg continue their quest to reach this seasons UEFA Europa League group stage at Gyori on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-gothenburg-face-gyori
The Swedish side lifted European football's second-tiertrophy back in 1982 and again in 1987 under its former guise oftheUEFA Cup, but their ambitions for this year's tournament are likely to bemuch smaller as they approach the first leg of theirsecond-qualifying-roundclash in Hungary.
Mikael Stahre's men were third in the Allsvenskan last season, but currently sit a disappointing sixth after 14 games this term andwill likely need to improve after only defeating Luxembourg'sFola Esch 2-0 on aggregate in the previous round.
Gothenburg will not be the only Swedish team aimingto try andseal a place in the third qualifying round, with Elfsborg, AIK and Brommapojkarna taking on Inter Baku, Linfield and Crusaders respectively.
Rosenborg were surprisingly eliminated at the same stage last season, losing out to Scottish sideSt Johnstone, and they will hope to avoid a repeat against Ireland's Sligo Rovers.
Swiss side Luzern are the opponents on this occasion for St Johnstone, who are one of three Scottish teams competing in the Europa League.
Motherwell meet Icelandic side Stjarnan, while Aberdeen face a tricky test against Eredivisie play-off winners Groningen in what shouldbe one of the standoutties of the round.
Norwegian's Tromso were the big winners of the first qualifying round, hammering Tartu Santos of Estonia 13-1, and they will be looking for more of the sameagainst Faroese outfit Vikingur.
Tippeligaen leaders Moldemeet Gorica of Slovenia, while Norwegian compatriots Haugesund will need to overcome Sarajevo.
Zulte-Waregem and Shakhter Karagandy take on Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Atlantas respectively as they both aim to feature in the group stage for a second straight year.
Lech Poznan, last-32participants in 2011, will be favourites against Estonia's Nomme Kalju, and their Polish compatriots Ruch Chorzow should be hopeful of progress against Vaduz ofLiechtenstein.
Romanian's Cluj make their return to European football after a year-long absence against Jagodina, while Petrolul Ploiesti face Flamurtari Vlore as they bid to go better than last season's run to the final play-off round.
Zimbru will require a fine performance in order to knock-out CSKA Sofia of Bulgaria, and Chikhura are also likely to be up against it in their tie with Bursaspor.
Kazakhstani sides Astana and Kairat meet Hapoel Tel Aviv and Esbjerg, the latter of whomreached the last 32 in 2013-14.
Finnish teams RoPS and MYPA are pitted against Asteras Tripolis and Dinamo Misnk, whose fellow Belarusians Neman Grodno and Shakhtyor will need to overcome FH and Derry City.
Kosice face Slovan Liberec, Laci meet Zorya and Neftci take on Koper, while the games between Omonia Nicosia and Buducnost, Vojvodina and Trencin, Zestafoni and Spartak Trnava and St Polten and Botev Plovidiv should all be hotly contested.
Meanwhile, Sillamae Kalev host Krasnodar, Rijeka welcome Ferencvaros, Hajduk Split travel to Dundalk and the Croatian side'scity rivals RNK Split meet Hapoel Be'er Sheva of Israel.
Elsewhere, there are clashes betweenSiroki BrijegandMladaBoleslav, Diosgyor andLitex Lovech, Metalurg Skopjeand Zeljeznicar, whileCukaricki hostGrodig.
news_articleTue, 15 Jul 2014 09:12:40 +0000Anonymous212490 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Gothenburg leave it lateIFK Gothenburg avoided a UEFA Europa League shock by winning 2-0 at Fola Esch in the second leg of their first round qualifier.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-wrap-gothenburg-leave-it-late
The Swedish side were surprisingly held to a goalless draw by the Luxembourg outfit in the first leg and they left it late to progress at Stade Josy Barthel on Thursday.
Extra time was looming until Danish striker Lasse Vibe broke the deadlock 14 minutes from time and May Mahlangu eased the two-time UEFA Cup winners' nerves with a second goal nine minutes from time.
Mikael Stahre's men breathed a sigh of relief after making hard work of progressing and now face Gyori ETO in the second qualifying round.
Adam Rooney scored the first hat-trick of the competition as Aberdeen beat FK Daugava Riga 3-0 to seal an emphatic 8-0 aggregate victory and set up a clash with Eredivisie side FC Groningen.
The striker also becamethe first Aberdeen player in 30 years to score a treble in European competition, with Scotland assistant manager Mark McGhee the last player to achieve that feat.
There was late drama at theISS Stadion inVantaa, where hosts Honka were left stunned asJK Sillamae Kalev scored in the last minute of extra time to put the visitors from Estonia through on away goals after losing 3-2 on the night.
Sillamae led 2-1 afterthe first leg and increased their advantage whenAndreiSidorenkov put them in front on the night, butIlari Aijala equalised on the stroke of half-time and KevinMombilo struck right at the death to force extratime.
RoniPorokara put the home side in front and the fightback looked to be complete untilEvgeni Kabaev had the final say in the last minute of extra time.
It was not only the Finnish side who suffered late heartbreak, asMaksimMaksimov struck with just a minute remaining to ensureAtlantas beatDifferdange 03 3-1 to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Luxembourg outfit Differdange led 1-0 from the first leg, butMehdi Martin's red card after only 19 minutes left them up against it in the second leg afterKazimierasGnedojus had levelled the tie.
MariusPapsys' penalty put the home side in front on aggregate, butDifferdange refused to lie down andJean-PhilippeCaillet levelled the tie nine minutes from time, only for Maksimov to settle it right at the death.
KF Laci held their nerve to beatRudar Velenje 3-2 on penalties after the two sides had played out another 1-1 draw, while the tie betweenLitex Lovech andVeris was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
Ferencvaros overcame a first-leg deficit to beatSliema Wanderers 2-1 - and 3-2 on aggregate - while Rosenborg,Shakhter Karagandy, Astana, RNK Split,Víkingur Gota andBuducnost Podgorica also progressed.
Crusaders also went through on Thursday, along withZeljeznicar Sarajevo,Chikhura Sachkhere,FK Haugesund, Inter Baku,Nomme Kalju,Cukaricki,Zimbru Chisinau andFlamurtari Vlore.
IF Brommapojkarna can also look forward to a second round qualifying clash, as can Tromso,who hammeredTartu FC Santos 13-1 on aggregate,Diosgyori VTK,Kairat Almat, Spartak Trnava, Dery City and UMF Stjarnan.
FC Vaduz's European adventure will continue, whileMYPA,Sligo Rovers, Botev Plovdiv, Luka Koper,NK Siroki Brijeg, Dundalk,FH Hafnarfjordur andMetalurg Skopje live to fight another day.
news_articleThu, 10 Jul 2014 22:17:40 +0000Anonymous210269 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League: Gothenburg on edgeTwo-time competition winners IFK Gothenburg visit Fola Esch hoping to avoid a surprise UEFA Europa League elimination on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-gothenburg-edge
Gothenburg - winners of the then-UEFA Cup in 1982 and 1987 - were held to a goalless draw in last week's opening leg of the first-round qualifier.
And that has heaped the pressure on Mikael Stahre's men, who travel to Luxembourg needing a positive result.
Tromso should have no such worries after hammering Estonia's Tartu Santos 7-0 on the road in their first leg.
Another side from Norway - Rosenborg - won well last week, as a 4-0 triumph against Latvia's Jelgava gives them one foot in the second round, despite the upcoming away trip.
Aberdeen will also hit the road in good spirits. They beat Daugava Riga 5-0 in last week's first leg at Pittodrie.
There was treble joy for Kazakhstan in the first legs, and Astana, Shakhter Karagandy and Kairat all hold the advantage heading into return clashes against Pyunik, Shirak and Kukesi.
Koper are another side virtually in the second round already. They host Celik with a 5-0 lead already in the bag.
Cukaricki, Stjarnan and Botev Plovdiv will be buoyant with 4-0 leads against Sant Julia, Bangor City and Libertas respectively, while FH are three goals to the good against Glenavon, as are Metalurg Skopje when they meet Moldova's Santa Coloma, and Vaduz over Gibraltan side College Europa.
Northern Irish sides also completed a hat-trick of wins last week.
Crusaders beat Ekranas of Lithuania 3-1 to give themselves a healthy lead while Derry City will prepare for their trip to Aberystwyth Town positive of progression. They won 4-0 in the first leg.
But Linfield may not be as confident, with Michael Carvill's late strike needed to give them all three points in a 2-1 win against B36 of the Faroe Islands.
Siroki Brijeg, Spartak Trnava, RNK Split and Dundalk all hold two-goal leads and should progress.
Skendija 79, Sillamae Kalev, VPS, Vikingur, Buducnost and Diosgyor all head into their second legs - against Zimbru, Honka, Brommapojkarna, Daugava Daugavpils, Folgore/Falciano and Birkirkara respectively - leading 2-1.
A further six sides hold one-goal advantages, with MYPA joined by Chikhura, Inter Baku, Flamurtati Vlore, Differdange and Nomme Kalju in holding slender leads.
Three ties are firmly in the balance after goalless first legs, with Veris and Litex Lovech, Banga and Sligo Rovers, and Lovcen and Zeljeznicar all hoping to find the back of the net.
Other sides who were unable to be separated were Sliema Wanderers and Ferencvaros, Airbus UK and Haugesund, and Laci and Rudar, setting up exciting second-leg clashes.
news_articleSun, 06 Jul 2014 19:41:28 +0000Anonymous207751 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com